Fore Front Home Inspections  Protecting your Investment    Asbestos - Vermiculite as Insulating Materials   Health Canada has encouraged provincial occupational health authorities to adopt stringent workplace exposure limits for asbestos. The sale of pure asbestos and certain high risk consumer products that are composed of or contain asbestos fibres is strictly regulated under the Hazardous Products Act. In addition, the emissions of asbestos into the environment from mining and milling operations are subject to the Canadian Environmental Protection Act. Asbestos fibres have been linked to Pericardial and Peritoneal Mesothelioma type cancers (asbestosis - pulmonary) Before building permits are issued for renovation work on older dwellings occupational health authorities will required affected areas be analyzed and tested by a qualified professional before any work is permitted.  If affected areas are not tested for the presents of asbestos all workers, contractors, trades persons, occupants and owners me be subject to Workplace Safety and Insurance Board (WSIB) Fines and Stop Work Order Penalties. Homeowners should receive expert advice before removing materials that may contain asbestos. If you think your home may contain asbestos, have the items analyzed by a qualified professional.  Sampling and testing for asbestos requires services of a qualified professional, uses certified equipment and methods, use accredited laboratory of all samples to determine the presents and percentage of asbestos, as well as Chain of Custody Documents and Reports. Houses built between 1800 to mid-1980 may have asbestos cloth and or vermiculite as an insulation material in exterior walls, attic spaces, heating ducts and pipes. Until the mid-1980’s asbestos was commonly used to insulation hot water boilers and boilers pipes to prevent heat loss. Asbestos  incased in canvas wrap (cloth type material) used to insulation around hot water pipes, pipe elbows, fittings and shutoff valves.  Asbestos maybe found in many building and finishing products.  Such as    Clapboard siding Exterior siding Roof Shingles Asphalt siding Felt roofing material Plaster for walls and ceiling Acoustical ceiling tiles   Drywall and drywall compound Vinyl floor tiles and Vinyl sheet flooring products Many types of materials have been used for wall and attic insulation from wood chips, sawdust, paper, cardboard sheets, wool, cork sheeting, asbestos cloth and vermiculite from the early 1800’s. Vermiculite can be found in homes built in the mid-1970. Vermiculite insulation which may cantain small amounts of amphibole asbestos, principally termolite or actinolite. These amphibole fibres may cause health risks if disturbed   Asbestos Background Asbestos is the generic name for a variety of fibrous minerals found naturally in rock formations around the world. Because asbestos fibres are strong, durable and non-combustible, they were widely used by industry, mainly in construction and friction materials. Commercial asbestos fibres belong in two broad mineralogical groups: serpentine (chrysotile) and amphibole (tremolite, actinolyte and others).  Amphibole asbestos often contains more iron and resists acid and extremely high temperatures.  Because of this, it has been heavily used in industrial furnaces and heating systems. However when inhaled, amphibole fibres stay much longer in the lungs than chrysotile fibres and they are more likely to inflict damage and cause disease, including cancer. Accordingly, amphibole asbestos has been drastically controlled and largely replaced.  Chrysotile is the only serpentine asbestos that is found in almost all asbestos-based products available today and is the main form of asbestos still mined. Chrysotile is different from the amphiboles both structurally and chemically. It is generally accepted that chrysotile asbestos is less potent and does less damage to the lungs than the amphiboles.  How much asbestos is in a product does not indicate its health risk. If the asbestos fibres are enclosed or tightly bound in a compound, there is no significant health risk. One of the main problems with asbestos came from sprayed or "friable" (easily broken up) amphibole asbestos used in buildings until the 1970s. People working in construction, maintenance or in the renovation of older buildings should be particularly careful when handling this asbestos.  Information provided by CMHC and Health Canada   Mesothelioma Survival Rate - Pleural mesothelioma is by far the most prevalent form of mesothelioma. According to the American Cancer Society, three-quarters of all mesothelioma cases are pleural. Pleuralmesothelioma.com offers the most comprehensive and current information on asbestos exposure and mesothelioma. For more information related to the Survival Rate of Mesothelioma and to provide greater awareness of this dangerous lung cancer Mesothlelioma Cancer Network can provide a comprehensive resource for anyone concerned about the health effects and dangers of asbestos. Mesothelioma Cancer Alliance provies Resources for Patients and Their Families                Information and links provided by Public Awareness Director for the Pleural Mesothelioma Center